Long story about my experience still struggling?

hi, i am new here and just wanted to share my story albeit a long one. It started when my doctor offered me Lexapro for what he thought was depression. A half hour after i took it I was in the E.R. with crazy symptoms ranging from diarrhea to chills and shivers and crazy thoughts, throwing up. In the E.R. they gave me Xanax and said I was having an adverse reaction and sent me on my way. The symptoms continued for a month and I continued to take Xanax to help me sleep periodically in between. Then I kept getting crazier symptoms and kept going to the E.R. where they just gave me more Xanax. I saw an Neurologist thinking that this all caused brain damage. Then I found post on SSRI withdrawl and Xanax withdrawl and realized I needed to come off the xanax. By this time I was already getting inter dose withdrawl from them and had to wean myself off. It had only been a couple weeks of taking them intermittently. Anyways long story short is that it has been over a year and I am still suffering. For a while it was mostly anxiety and OCD type thinking but lately I feel like I am back at square one. Not sleeping, feeling out of it, nausea, and the crazy symptoms that happened when this all first started. I only took ONE LEXAPRO and I am wondering if that and the combo of XANAX did permanent damage. I am raising two small children practically on my own (husband works in Canada) and I just don't know what to do anymore. Any information or help would be great!!

Responses (4)

Sort:

AN

Anonymous22 Apr 2011

Hello snobetty. So in answer to not knowing, are you still seeing a dr? I have been on both these medications. I understand a bit, how you are feeling because anxiety, insominia alone can do and make you feel terrible to say the least. Did the Neurologist give you any tests, any opinion, or advice? Brain scan, memory tests, you know, this sort of thing. I really don't want to sound... looking for the proper wording... I suggest seeing a dr. or the dr. who perscribed you the lexapro, or if you are still seeing this dr. ask her, or him what is happening. I mean, you went to the er, in and out, xanax was given to you. The norm is that the er staff will tell you, get the information about your attending physician, therapist and so on. The brain is a organ that is a true wonder. And its still a marvel to me, how it works. To put your mind at ease snobetty, I doubt that you have permanet damage.

I am no doctor, so, but having lived with and still do, anxiety, depression, not sleeping very much to talk about, much the same symptons that you are having and having been on these medications, for years, and being taken of, off them, this is why I said what I just did. Again, its been said so many times, we are all different, we all respond differently to different dosage, different combinations of medications, often the same symptons, sometimes not. I hope that other members here, will try and answer your questions and help you feel at ease, there are very thoughtfull, caring people here. Something or someone will say or do something to help you feel better and hopefully, have an answer to some of your thoughts. Try not to worry so much, life is going to become better for you. Best wishes to you, and try and smile... ok, ha! I'll smile for us all here on the site :-0)

I doubt that the Lexapro and Xanax did any permanent damage to the brain. Your symptoms really do need to be evaluated by a medical professional such as a psychiatrist. You describe behaviors that need attention. Since you are virtually a single parent household, you are under a lot of stress which is probably just exascerbating the problems.

There have been many many cases and current studies that show in some people, SSRI use, even for a very very short time can result in bipolar depression. Not exactly what the drug companies want to discuss, but if you do a bit of research, the evidence is out there. Benzos have been around since the 60's, and the adverse effects that you're describing don't make sense for Xanax, but I wouldn't put it completely past the SSRI med.

From your shortened story, I think you may have had too many "cooks in the Kitchen", so to speak. You really need to try and deal with one doctor, especially in the beginning. My doc gave me Prestique (he had samples) at first; I took one dose, went to bed and felt insane with anxiety the next morning. Now, all these meds take about 6-8 weeks to have their full effect and it may be that this one hadn't actually had any effect on me yet and it just happened to be a day that was going to be bad. I don't know, but I told the doc he could have them back and he prescribed Lexapro (5mg in the morning and 5 in the evening). It was making a difference, but not enough. He increased it to 10 and 10. That worked really well for a while and I kept checking in with him to let him know how I was feeling. He gave me some names of therapists and I went to see one for a while; she helped me with how to deal with this new life of being on medication.

Once the meds had a chance to have their full effect, the only problem I had was afternoon tiredness. My doc cut down my morning Lexapro and added a Welbutrin; I started to feel normal... most of the time.It's never completely gone, but the best you can do is work with a doc you trust, be open and thorough about your symptoms (keeping a diary helps because you'll start noticing patterns) and read, read, read.The part I actually like the best... Good Excuse to eat Salmon!!